Success is often seen as the ultimate goal, something we strive for in every area of life. Yet, success can be deceptive. Sometimes, reaching the top is just the first step toward disaster. Why? Because the idea of progress—especially the pursuit of endless progress—can easily become the enemy of actual progress.
I recently met a guy who seemed to have it all: a thriving business, a lifestyle most would envy, a strong relationship, and a great network of friends. Yet, despite all this, he was convinced he needed a coach to help him “reach the next level.”
Curious, I asked him what this “next level” was. He wasn’t sure. That was the problem. He believed that hiring someone to reveal his blind spots would unlock whatever mysterious next phase was waiting for him.
At that moment, I hesitated. He was enthusiastic, ready to spend a lot of money chasing some undefined goal. But I couldn’t help but ask, “What if there’s nothing to fix? What if you’re already there? And by constantly pursuing something more, you’re preventing yourself from appreciating what you’ve already achieved?”
His response was typical: “I feel like I need to always be improving myself.” And there it was. That belief—the constant need for more, for progress—is where many of us go wrong.
The Disease of More
Pat Riley, the legendary NBA coach, coined the term “Disease of More.” It describes how teams that win championships often sabotage themselves, not by losing to better teams, but by internal forces. The players, after achieving success, crave more. More money, more attention, more endorsements, more playing time. This “more” fractures the cohesion that made them champions in the first place. What was once a perfectly synchronized group becomes a collection of egos, each player believing they’ve earned the right to stop doing the little things that got them to the top.
The lesson here is clear: success can lead to complacency, and complacency leads to ruin. Constantly seeking more doesn’t just distract from the essentials; it undermines the very foundation of success.
More Is Not Always Better
For most of its history, psychology focused on what causes mental illness. It wasn’t until the 1980s that researchers started to explore happiness. One of the earliest studies involved asking people to rate their happiness on a scale from 1 to 10 throughout their day.
The results were surprising—and dull. Most people, regardless of their circumstances, rated their happiness around a 7. Even after positive life events like winning the lottery or going on vacation, their happiness shot up momentarily, only to settle back to 7. Likewise, after negative events, happiness would dip but then return to the same steady state.
This finding reveals something crucial: happiness is fleeting. No matter what we achieve or acquire, we eventually revert to our baseline. And yet, we constantly chase that elusive 10, believing that the next job, the next house, or the next vacation will finally get us there.
The Hedonic Treadmill
This endless pursuit of more has been dubbed the “hedonic treadmill.” Like a treadmill, no matter how fast you run, you end up in the same place. We believe that happiness is just around the corner—after we land that promotion, buy that dream car, or take that trip to an exotic destination. But when we get there, the euphoria fades, and we’re back at a 7.
The treadmill effect applies to more than just happiness. It affects success and progress too. We think that by constantly moving forward, we’re making progress. But often, we’re just running in circles, chasing something we can never fully attain.
The Cost of Chasing Perfection
This brings us back to the man who wanted to reach the “next level.” His need to constantly improve was actually holding him back. By endlessly chasing the next thing, he wasn’t appreciating what he already had. And this, ironically, is the root of the problem for many successful people. They believe that more success, more progress, and more improvement will lead to fulfillment, but they miss the fact that they’ve already achieved what they once wanted.
We see this in businesses too. Companies that grow quickly often fall into the trap of pushing for constant expansion. They pursue more clients, more revenue, and more market share. But in doing so, they sometimes sacrifice the very things that made them successful: their quality, customer relationships, or core values.
What Really Drives Us?
If chasing success for the sake of success isn’t the answer, what is? The key is to find something greater than personal achievement to motivate us. Purpose, service, and contribution are lasting drivers that lead to true fulfillment. When we focus on something bigger than ourselves, we stop running on the hedonic treadmill and start making real progress.
Success, in the long run, isn’t about constantly reaching for more. It’s about appreciating where you are and recognizing when you’ve already made it. It’s about doing the small, unglamorous tasks that matter, rather than seeking the next big thing. And most importantly, it’s about understanding that true progress doesn’t always mean moving forward; sometimes, it means standing still and being content with where you are.
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